Other World Bounty Hunters
by Lady Dark Hope
Summary: When two people from to seperate times in up in the far future. They take up bounty hunting on Gunsmoke in order to survive. PostPone until further Notice
1. Awakened

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that deals with Trigun. Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Life is just a dream, you know." Those were the last things that echoed through his head as he was lost to the world. What he didn't expect was to continue on with his life. He was going to make some new friends and find that fate was a fickle lady.  
  
~*~*~  
  
He sat up with a jolt and grunted in pain. He looked down at his body to find out he was in a pair of underwear and bandage up everywhere there was a wound. He looks around and discovers that he was lying on a thick green, wool blanket only to be covered by a thin white sheet. Around him was a large white tent made of a thick material.  
"Oh, I see you're finally up. I was starting to worry about you." A girl that looked about 13 or 14 pushed the flap of the tent away and walked in. She wore black jean pants, black boots, a long sleeve shirt that was white and had words in pink that said "I Love my Attitude Problem", over the shirt she wore a black vest. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a braid and her eyes became blue when she pushed her black rimmed, red lenses sunglasses up on to her head.  
"Who are you, where am I, and why am I in my underwear?"  
"Err... Good questions." she answers with her face bright red. "Well, my name is Dara Baldwin, you're in this tent, wherever that is, and I had to wrap your wounds. Also I removed some bullets from you. I've never done that before, so I think I did more damage then what the bullets did."  
"Really and where is all my stuff?"  
"Right here, over in the corner." Dara picks up his clothes and drops them off next to him.  
He shuffles through his clothes and looks up at her. "What did you do with my cigarettes?"  
"One, I don't like people smoking, and two, smoke outside."  
"Fine, fine, whatever." He gets up, in pain, and walks towards the tent flap.  
"Here you may want these." She tosses his clothes at him, then his cigarettes and lighter.  
He pulls out a cigarette and puts it in his mouth, "Um, thanks." He steps into his pants, pulls them up, and button then zips them up before he steps outside. "What the hell?" He manages to say, without dropping his cigarette.  
Dara pushes her way out of the tent and smiles. "I told you, you may want them. As hot as it is in this desert, you are better off completely clothed."  
"Whatever." He puts on his clothes, lights up his cigarette, and beginnings to puff on it.  
"So how did you die?"  
"What?" he asked almost drops his cigarette.  
"How did you die?"  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"Well, I think I died on a train wreck." As she talked she started to roll up one of her sleeves. "I was on a train when I heard a noise that woke me up. I find myself here, all bloody and cut up. I was lucky and had scratches on my face, but you can still see my other wounds." She shows him her for arm that was completely wrapped. She pulls down her sleeve and asks, "Well, how did you die?"  
"For revenge."  
"Okay, so that isn't how I expected you to die. That does kind of explain why you had all those bullet holes and cuts. Can I ask you one more thing?"  
"That would be?"  
"What's your name?"  
"You're telling me that after seeing me in my underwear, that you didn't search my pockets."  
"Well no, that would be going through your personal life. I figure you would tell me everything when you are ready."  
"And seeing me in my underwear isn't?"  
"Not if you are bleeding to death on the sand!"  
"Good point. My name is, Spike Spiegel." 


	2. Sightings

Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun or Spike. They are both own by their respected companies. I do own myself.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Don't you ever stop whining?"  
"No! I can bitch, whine, moan, and complain all I want. Jeeze, who ever were smart enough to drop us in the middle of a dessert on an alien planet, wasn't very smart at all." Dara said as she shifted her backpack a little.  
"You're telling me." Spike answered as he wiped the sweat from his brow.  
"Hopefully we can get to a town soon. I think whatever supply of water we have is almost gone. Hmmmm..." Dara tilts her head to the side and looks off into the distance.  
"Hmmm, what is it?" Spike asks as he leans back and looks over her shoulder.  
"I thought I saw something out there. Maybe I'm seeing things. Don't you see anything out there?"  
"No not really."  
"Well, okay then." She was about to turn around and follow him again, when she caught something in her sight, again. "I think we should go over there."  
"Why?"  
"Because I can see something over there."  
"Whatever." He turns and soon is following Dara as she walked after her "sighting".  
  
~*~*~  
  
"A windmill! This is great!" Dara screamed as she jumped up and down.  
"What is so great about a windmill?" Spike asked as he slumped down.  
"Well, windmills are sometimes used to create electricity." Dara answered as she removed her shirt from her head and put it in the backpack with her vest. All she had on now was a black sports bra.  
"Tell me something I don't know." Spike had now had gotten used to the fact she was running around in her bra.  
"Well, windmills are sometimes used to pump water up. So, if we keep going this way I'm sure we can come across a town. Hopefully something to eat."  
"About time you said something, worth listening."  
"Hey, that was rude. You act more like a child than I do."  
"At least I'm not a child." He answered back as he began to walk away.  
"I'm not a child, though. I'm 19 years old."  
"Huh?" He looks back at her in amazement. "I've got to be joking, right?"  
"No, I'm really 19 years old. Let me guess. You thought I was 14?"  
"Yeah, how did you guess that?"  
Dara smiles and shakes her head. "I used to get that a lot. It doesn't help though I act like one."  
"Yeah, I kind of guessed that." Spike sighed and shook his head.  
"Hey, Spike, look. I was right after all."  
"Huh," Spike looks up and sees a dusty brown colored town. "Well then, we'll have to go to the nearest place to get some food and something to drink."  
Dara took off running, but Spike soon shot past her. "Jeeze, I wish I could run like that. Well, I guess I will be able too soon. Hanging out with him will probably get me more into shape." Dara finally caught up to Spike into the Saloon.  
"What took you so long?"  
Panting, Dara finally responded. "I'm not in top physical condition, like you."  
"Well, do you have any money? It seems that they don't take Wolongs here."  
"Okay then, I can try." Dara walks up to the bar and waits for the bartender to come over. She pulls a few bucks from her back pocket and places it on the bar. "What can I get for this?"  
"That? Absolutely nothing! We don't take those weird curacies. Just like that other guy's there." He answers by pointing over to Spike.  
"Well, what do you take?"  
"Nothing but Double Dollars here."  
"Double Dollars?"  
"Yes, Double Dollars."  
"Um okay, thanks then." Dara goes over to where Spike was sitting and sits in the chair across from him. "It seems they don't take my money either. I have Dollars, but they take something called Double Dollars."  
"Great!" Spike sighed. "We're hungry and thirsty, now we are broke on this planet."  
Dara sits there for a couple of minutes then gets up. "I think I have an idea!"  
"And what would that be?"  
"It's for me to know and you to find out." 


	3. Going to be a Bounty Hunter

Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun or Spike. They both belong to their respective companies.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Okay kids, I taught you how to play kick ball. Now you have to tell me where I can make quick cash." Dara smiled and acted all sweet.  
  
"Okay, okay. A deal is a deal." Answered a kid that appeared to be the leader of the group. "At the sheriff's office there is a list of bounty heads and how much they cost. Got that?"  
  
"Perfectly clear. I'll know where to come too if I need more information."  
  
"Just remember, you have to bring a new game for us to play." He answered back before him and the other kids ran off to play the new game they just learned.  
  
Dara walked over to the sheriff's office and looked at the post board. She looked through the bounties that were all there. While standing there she over heard the sheriff's phone rang. After a few moments she heard him saying something to his deputy about one of the bounty heads coming their ways. Dara casually strolls back over to the saloon to find Spike sitting out on the front porch area. "Hey!"  
  
"Hey." He takes a drag from a cigarette that seems he was smoking for a while.  
  
"Got some good news on some fast cash, but it deals with being a bounty hunter."  
  
Spike just smiles and replies, "That's easy. I was a bounty hunter before I got here."  
  
"Well, that explains this," Dara answers as she throws he's gun at him.  
  
He catches it easily and slips it into its holster. "So that's where it disappeared too. Why did you have it?"  
  
"Because I didn't want some crazy maniac shooting me. I didn't know you then."  
  
"You still don't know me and I could shoot you now."  
  
"I don't think you will. It doesn't seem like something you would do."  
  
Spike sighs and takes another drag. "Well, do you want to tell me more about the bounty hunting thing? I mean, we can't exactly eat until we do get a bounty."  
  
"Well, that's the good news." Dara replied pushing her sunglasses up farther on her nose. "It seems that a bounty with One million double dollars is heading this way. He's name is Biron Shil. He's coming from the North-west direction."  
  
"That's some pretty good information you got there. I say we get up and go for it."  
  
"Good! I'm all for it!"  
  
"First off, do you have a gun?"  
  
"Um no, and I would prefer not too."  
  
Spike stands up, flicks the cigarette butt off into the air, and sighs. "If you are going to hang around me, you're going to have too. Also, how did you expect to be a bounty hunter without one?"  
  
"Well, I figure we could take them down with a net or something."  
  
"You're kind of hopeless. I'm pretty sure we can find a gun shop around here."  
  
"And how do you purpose that we do that without any money?"  
  
"I think I'll be able to think of something when we get there."  
  
"Okay, if you say so."  
  
~*~*~  
  
The little bell to the door of the gun shop tinkled as two people walked in. The shop keeper walks out from the back and asks, "May I help you?"  
  
"No thanks." answers the guy. "We're just browsing around." The guy began to look from case to case while the girl read a sign and went up stairs. "How about this one?" the guy speaks out. He looks up and realizes that the girl wasn't there. "Where did she go?"  
  
"Excuse me, sir. She went up those stairs to my brother's shop." The shop keep answered.  
  
"Huh, thanks." he answered and he went up the stairs. Upon reaching the top of the stairs he heard her excited babbling. "I wonder what the heck she is doing." He thought to himself.  
  
"Hey, Spike, come here! I think I found what I want!" Dara hollered as she waved Spike over.  
  
"We came here to get you a gun, not some bunch of fireworks."  
  
"But I just told Roy here some fireworks I use to see back at home and he said he would make me two modified types for free."  
  
"I don't think they'll help any."  
  
"But they will." answered Roy. "It'll help me get my own shop. What she'll have is these small balls that would explode on throwing contact. One would be a flasher and the other would be a screamer."  
  
"And are you intending to sell these to kids?" Spike questions.  
  
"No, no." Roy responded instantly. "These would be only for her. I'm only going to sell to them the snappers she told me about. Parents would have to buy the lighting fireworks."  
  
"How about it, Spike? Can I have them instead of the gun? Please!" Dara manages to grab the front of his clothes and looks up, giving him a pitiful look.  
  
Spike places one of his hands on his forehead and leans his head back. "Oh man, you're going to pull that puppy dog face on me, aren't you?"  
  
"Please, Spike."  
  
"Alright fine. She'll have them."  
  
"Yay! Thanks Spike!" She grins and turns around towards Roy. "Hey Roy, I'll take 200 each."  
  
Spike slumped down in dumb foundment. "I... 200 each? That's 400! We don't have the money for that; heck you know we don't have the money for food."  
  
Dara turns back towards Spike and shakes her head grinning. "Remember, they're completely free."  
  
Spike rolls his eyes and replies, "How could I forget?"  
  
Roy clears his throat to get their attention and says, "They should be ready tomorrow morning. Come around six. I should be just opening up."  
  
"'Kay!" Dara replies cheerfully. She goes down the stairs with Spike in tow and they make it outside. "I just realize something. How are we going to get a place to sleep?"  
  
"I don't really know. Having no money can affect us like that."  
  
"Maybe we can get a temporary job. You know, for the day so we can get enough for a room, for the night."  
  
"Good idea, you do that." Spike answered as he lit up another cigarette.  
  
"Jeeze Spike, you're really helpful. I can't make all the money in one day. You can help too!"  
  
"I have my own way." he replies as he walks off.  
  
~*~*~  
  
After working what seemed like hours on end in a restaurant, washing dishes, Dara managed to get a room for the both of them. She began to wonder around in the town, wondering where Spike manages to get himself hidden. She continues to walk, but stops in front of the saloon. The lights were still on and it sounded like there was a party going on. "He couldn't be in there, could he?" She pushed her way though swing doors and glanced around. She then seen him sitting at a bar guzzling down a beer. He slams it down and the guy he was facing drops his bottle. He starts to laughing, and then says something that was eliable. She makes her way over to him and speaks, "Spike is this what you've been doing? Getting drunk all day?"  
  
"No, I've been getting some money." he manages to slur out. "See look at this." He pulls out a large wad of cash and hands it to Dara.  
  
She stuffs it into her back pocket it as fast as she could. "Come on, I think you had enough and I got us a room." She picks up one of his arms and drapes it around the back her neck. She then helps him across the saloon and out the door. Spike pulls away from her grip and runs over the porch. Soon she shakes her head at the sounds of him throwing up.  
  
About that time a tall, slim man in a red coat with spiked blond hair walked up. "Hey there, it seems you can't keep that drink down. Maybe you shouldn't drink so much."  
  
"Why don't you mind your own business."  
  
"Okay then." He waves to them and walks into the saloon.  
  
Dara rolls her eyes and nudges Spike. "Please, try not upsetting the locals. Come on, I'll show you to our room."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Dara walks out of the bathroom in pair of her winter pjs. Spike was already covered up and trying to get to sleep in the bed, closest to the bathroom. Dara makes her way over to the other bed in the room. She pulls the covers back and slips under them. Instead of lying down though, she looks over at the back of Spikes head. "Hey, Spike, I was wondering, was there someone back at your home that you loved?"  
  
"Yeah." Came his only reply.  
  
"Could you tell me about her?"  
  
"Her name is Julia, and that is all you need to know."  
  
"Okay, I thought I would ask. I have someone back home too. I hope he's not worried about me. I am worried about my friend though."  
  
"Eh?" He asked.  
  
It was weird talking to his back, but she continued on. "I finally conned one of my friends from collage to come home with me. I've ridden that train so many times and the one time I get a friend to come with me, there was a train wreck. I hope she's still a live. The only reason I'm still traveling with you is to see if I can find her. If I do find her, I'm going to find a way to get her home."  
  
"So let me guess, you feel partly respondable for what have happened to her, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Don't worry about. Get some sleep, because you're stopping me from getting some."  
  
"Okay." Dara lies down and covers up. She looks over at Spike and turns over. "That man carries a greater burden than me." she thinks to herself. 


	4. The First Bounty

Spike sat at the bar and switched an egg yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell. Once it was just the yolk, he let it slid down to the bottom of a glass he had. He added a couple of ingredients that made the people around him a little queasy. He swallowed it down in one quick gulp. He then sat there for a few minutes listening to the semi- quietness around him. That's when the annoy voice, at the moment, sounded.  
"Spiiiiiiiike! There you are! Remember, we said we would go meet Roy at this time."  
"Shhhh!" Spike tried to quiet Dara. "I have a major hangover and you're making it worse."  
Dara rolls her eyes at Spike and replies, "Well, you wouldn't have one if you didn't drink yourself sick last night."  
"Whatever." Came his reply.  
She grabs his arm and pulls him towards the door. Half way there, Dara felt a rude pinch on her butt. She was horrified at that fact. She looks down to find a fat, greasy, drunk guy still holding his hand there. She let's go of Spike and punches the guy in the arm.  
"Was that suppose to hurt?" he slurries.  
"No," Dara says as she grabs the front of her shirt and leans her head back. "But this is!" She screams as her head flies forward and her arms draw the man closer. The sound of flesh on flesh and bone on bone rang out through the bar. Dara lets go of the drunkard and stands there smiling as he falls over, unconscious. "I have the hardest head around. Let's go, Spike." She grabs his arm again and drags him off. The bartender just keeps wiping at his glass and shakes his head.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Dara finally let go of Spike when she made it in front of Roy's and his brother's doors. Dara gives it a couple of quick raps and the door opens up with a smiling face of Roy. "Come in, come in. I have your stuff ready. I think you'll love it!"  
"Oh, thanks!" Dara smiles and walks in, followed by Spike. Dara follows Roy up stairs and she watches as he goes behind the counter.  
Roy pulls out two bags, one colored white and the other colored black. "This one," he says as he points to the white one, "is the flasher and this one," now pointing to the black one, "is the screamer." He hands both of the bags to Dara and grins. "Thanks to you my business will defiantly will grow."  
"Thank you." Dara smiles and walks off. When she steps outside, she turns towards Spike. "How am I suppose too carry these? They're kind of big, but I want them within reach."  
"Don't ask me." Spike mumbles as lights up his first cigarette of the day.  
Dara sighs and watches as Spike stood there smoking. Somewhere down the road she catches the guy in the red coat walk out of the inn and somewhere near the bakery. Dara gets a slight grin and grabs Spike. "I have an idea."  
"About time." He answers.  
"Come on, we have to clear out of the room today. Now is a good time as any." She walks towards their room and Spike follows as usual.  
"Sometimes I wonder who's leading who here." Spike says as he takes another drag.  
They manage to get to their room and started to pack the few little things that they had out. During this time Dara had set the bags on her bed. Once they were done Dara pulled out a long black coat from her back pack, making the once full looking bag into a completely empty one. She slips it on and then the back pack. She then puts the white bag into the right pocket and the black one in the left pocket. She slips her sunglasses down from the top of her head to in front of her eyes and grins.  
"What else do you have in that backpack?" asks Spike.  
"Just my attitude t-shirt and my black vest now, well expect for random food making utensils."  
"Is that all?"  
"Yeah. If I had my duffel bag I would have more stuff, but that's it." Dara seemed a little down on that fact, but she brightens up instantly. "Well, let's get going. We have to get that bounty head, don't we."  
Spike notices the sweep of darkness that passed her face and grabs his make shift backpack. "Yeah, let's go."  
They walked out of the inn place and headed towards the North-west direction. "From what I heard, Biron Shil was supposed to come this way around this time."  
"Maybe we should wait for him here then."  
"No need." Dara replies as she looked off into the distance. "Here he comes."  
"How can you see him way out there?"  
"I just can." Dara replies as her hands reaches into both of her pockets to grab one each of her new toys.  
"Come on, let's go meet him." Spike says as he slowly starts to walk forward.  
"Right." Dara answers as she begins to follow him. The walk for a short while and stop a couple of feet from a ragged looking man with a tattered cowboy hat on his head. "Hi Ya!" Dara called out to him.  
"Is there something that I can help you two with?" The man calls back out.  
Spike was about to answer him when Dara spoke up. "No, but maybe we can help you."  
"How can you do that?"  
"Well, rumor has it that a bounty head named Biron Shil was coming into town today. Everyone is locked up tight with guns pointing out their windows, ready to shoot anything that moves and they sent out a bunch of the town's men wandering around the desert looking for him."  
"Is that so?" he asks nervously as he glanced around.  
"So, what are you going to do about it, Biron Shil?"  
"Well," he starts to say as his hand reaches for his hidden holster, "this!"  
Before he could get his gun out Dara throws a screamer and a flasher. Biron dodges them and starts to run to his left, while his gun is out and shooting. "Shit!" Dara screams as she runs and jumps into a ditch.  
Spike was lands right next to her, drawing his gun and looks at her. "Next time, we do it my way."  
"Fine!" She says as Spike gets up and fires off a few rounds. She pulls out five screamers and five flashers. Spike gets up and fires a few more. "Where was he when you last fired?"  
"Huh, why?"  
"Just tell me, okay?"  
"Okay then, to your right, about six feet."  
"Good!" She puts all of them into her right hand and chucks them all up behind her. "Plug your ears!" She shoves her thumbs into her ears and hopes that Spike was doing the same. She watched the light, generated by the flasher, flashed against the sand across from her. She can hear the screamers going off, but she knew she wouldn't go deaf from them. When everything seemed to be done going off, Dara unplugs her ears and peeks up over the edge of the ditch.  
"What is he doing?" Spike asks as he glances over at Dara.  
"I think he's a little afraid because he can't hear or see." Dara crawls up from the ditch and slowly shuffles her way over towards Biron Shil. He holds his gun straight out and was shaking like crazy. He moves and fire off a bunch of rounds and Dara just barely manages to hit the sand. He stops and she gets back up. She then runs towards him, tackles him to the ground, and tries to wrestle the gun from his hand. He manages to fire a couple off into the distance, but it didn't hit anyone. She bites down hard on his gun wrist, her bottom teeth pressing into the pressure point. Biron screams out and drop his gun. He finally manages to throw Dara off and begins to search for his gun. He finds it, grabs it, and stands up.  
Spike was right there, pressing his gun to Biron's head. 


	5. A priest, A nightmare, and A promise

"So why are we leaving now?"  
"Because bounties don't come to you, while you stay in the same town." Answered Spike.  
"Okay fine. We'll have it your way. We'll leave." Dara said with a pout.  
"I wouldn't try that if I was you."  
"Why?"  
"Because it doesn't work on me."  
"Fine." Dara follows Spike for a good hour until she started to whine. "Why do we have to walk in the desert again. We had a million double dollars and you want to save it all and walk! We should have bought some car and gas."  
"Will you shut up!" Spike screams at Dara.  
"FINE I WILL!" she screams back louder.  
They walked in silence for the whole day and when night started to fall they set up camp in silence. The first words were finally spoken by Dara, but they were bitter words saying supper was ready and that was the last thing she said that night. She took her army blanket over to one side of the tent and laid it down. She then used her long coat as a blanket. She still had to curl up a little to fit all under it. Even in the morning she wouldn't say a word to Spike and he tried to get a few words out of her, but it only ended with him sighing. Finally the next morning Dara was getting tired not talking and decide to finally talk to Spike. So the traveled for about a month and the reached a small town just outside of December City. There was no inn and they would have to walk another day just to get to December City. "Spike," Dara yawned. "I want to stay here. I don't want to camp out in the desert again."  
"Fine." Came his reply. "Where are we going to stay?" He asked.  
Dara seen a bunch of kids running around in the center of the town and she walks over to them. "Hey kids!" she greets them. They look at her wearily and she just smiles back at them. "Do you guys know anyplace where we can stay?" They just shake there heads no at her. "Darn! Well, thanks anyways."  
"Well, did you get any information out of those little brats?"  
"No, so I guess we'll have to do it your way. I was so looking forward to a nice hot bath."  
"Hey!" came a voice where the children were playing. Both Spike and Dara look over to see what looked like a priest, with the kids standing behind him. "If you pay for the night and do some work, I'll let you stay for the night."  
Dara looks over at Spike and grins. "What?" he asks.  
"Can we?"  
Spike bows his head a little and sighs. "I suppose so. I'll probably hear you bitching and whining tonight if we don't."  
"Yay! I finally get a hot bath, I finally get a hot bath!" Dara sang as she skipped around Spike.  
"Will you cut that out!" He hollors as he flicks a cigarette butt away.  
"Fine!" Dara answers back and just stops.  
"What an odd couple." The priest says as he picks up his huge cross.  
"WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!" Dara screams back at him.  
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Follow me if you want to find where you are staying."  
"Huh?" Dara says, but still follows anyways with Spike right behind her thinking that she was acted too much like a child for him to handle.  
"Well anyways," the priest continues, "My name is Nicholas D. Wolfwood. I'm going to be leaving soon to look for someone. I have someone to watch the children while I'm away, but need someone to be here tomorrow to watch them. Can you do that for me?"  
"So, that means we have to stay here for two night then?" Spike asks.  
"Exactly!"  
"Then why do we have to pay for the night?" Dara whined.  
"Because I'll be here tonight and anything to help the orphanage I'm running here."  
Dara raised her hand and did a little jumping motion. "Can I cook the supper and stuff like that?"  
"Sure, you can do all the house keeping stuff, if you like?"  
Dara glares a little and points over to Spike. "Only if he helps me."  
Nicholas sees the look on Spike's face and laughs. "It's a deal then."  
That night Dara made supper for everyone and Spike had to do the dishes. The children were quite entertained with Dara playing with them. When it came time to getting the children to bed Spike and Nicholas had a handful. It didn't help either that Dara would join in with them running around and exclaiming with them, "Do we have too?" Finally about an hour later Dara had to quite helping them and help Spike and Nicholas, thanks to Spike's stern glare. After that it was smooth as silk to get the children into bed.  
The next morning Dara was awakened rudely from a bunch of children jumping on her bed to wake her up. She finally gets up, gets dressed after she shoos the children out, and goes and makes breakfast for them. After waking up enough she ran out to join them to play with their ball. Half way between breakfast and soon to be lunch Both Spike and Nicholas came out of their rooms, sleep in their eyes, and smoking a cigarette. They both grunted at each other and headed towards the kitchen to find it in a mess. Spike walks towards the door in the front to find Dara playing a game of kick ball with the children.  
"Hey!" he called out to her. She looks over at him to show that she heard him. "You made a mess in the kitchen. Maybe you should clean it up."  
"No," she called back. "I left that for you to do since I had to entertain the kids here and feed them."  
"Figures." He mutters with a puff from his cigarette.  
Around lunch time the children had began to complain about being hungry. Dara sighed and went in to make some lunch for them. After lunch Nicholas said it was time for him to go. He grabs his cross and heads out. The children ran out the door, waved to him good bye, and watched him till he disappeared in the distanced.  
  
~*~*~  
  
For the rest of the day, Spike and Dara took care of the children. It was that night when Dara was asleep that she had a terrifying nightmare. She thought a noise had woken her up that night, so she tried to open her eyelids. They felt as if they were nothing but weights. She managed to get them open enough, so she could see through small slits. It looked like a nurse was checking some fluids, but couldn't be, could it? She swore she could smell the sterile smell of hospital smell. Pretty soon her eyelids began to get heavy again that she couldn't keep them open. She woke up with a start and sat up very fast that she almost threw off a few orphans that decided to sleep with her, like she was their mother. She sighed and flopped back down on her pillow. In the morning it was the same routine for Dara again. After lunch Dara helped Spike do the dishes when they heard a knock at the door. She let Spike finish up the dishes and she headed towards the door. She manages to peek out and sees a man standing there. "Hello there. My name is Fredrick and I'm sure Nicholas has told you about me."  
"Yeah, you're the one to watch the kids here until he gets back."  
"That's exactly right. I hope the children weren't too much of a trouble."  
"No, they weren't. Can you wait for me and my friend to pack our stuff and we can get going."  
"Sure!" Fredrick said with a smile as he stepped in. The children came out nowhere and surrounded Fredrick's legs screaming "Uncle Fredrick!"  
Spike and Dara managed to get all their stuff packed and started to head out the door when the children managed to grab on to Dara's legs. It wasn't till she promises she would be back that they finally let go of her legs. As they headed towards December, Dara glanced back at the children, hoping that one day their lives would be even happier. 


	6. Trouble and Rich

They finally reached the city of December. Spike was glad about it too, because he was getting quit tired of Dara complaining about getting a bath. Sure she had one a couple days ago, but she wouldn't quite since the quick sandstorm hit. That was all hear had been hearing from her was sand in places that "he wouldn't want to know." Something told him though that she was over exaggerating. So when they finally got to the inn, Dara talked Spike into two rooms with joining door. The first thing he heard her do was gets in the bath. Spike decided this was the time for him to get a couple of drinks in.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Dara got out of the bath and wrapped her wet hair up in a towel. It felt good to be clean again. She got dressed and brushed her wet hair. She goes over to the connecting door and knocks really loud. Not hearing anything coming from the other side of the door she opens it up a crack and peeks in. She realizes that Spike wasn't there so she opens the door all the way and steps all the way in. She looks around, only to confirm that he wasn't there. "Well, I guess that means he went out drinking again." She sighs and throws up her hands. Dara grabs her coat, throws it on, grabs her sunglasses, slips them on her head, and steps out. She manages to get outside when she sees the sheriff and his deputies run by. She sees them run into the bar and something told her to duck into the shadows of the alley way near the bar. She followed that gut feeling and did duck in there. A few minutes later the sheriff and his lackeys busted out of the bar, pulling a man with them. She watched as they pull man along, when the he tilts his face just enough so the light would catch it, Dara gasped. "Spike, what did you do?"  
  
~*~*~  
  
"But why? What did he did wrong?"  
"I told you before, he caused the murder of Lord Jesup. Thanks to him, a wife and a mistress are going to be arguing over his estate."  
"But Spike wouldn't do something like that!"  
"Yeah, that is what they all say."  
"Damn it," Dara mutters to herself as she steps outside. She leans against the porch rail and looks up into the sky. "Now what am I suppose to do?" She happens to look down at this moment to see a person, wearing all black, walk by. She was pretty sure that was the mistress, acting all teary eyes. Dara was sure that was all she was doing, acting. A small smile appeared across her lips and she kicks up some dust as she begins to follow the person dressed in black. The person ducks into an alley way and Dara follows right after her. Dara jerks to the stop and steps back as the lady in black is holding a gun out, pointed right at her. "Sorry, I thought I knew you? My mistake."  
"Sure you do." Came that lady's reply as a smile twisted on her face. "I bet you're hear to save your friend that I framed."  
"Well," Dara sighs as she slips her hands into coat pockets. "How did you guess?" she responded as her hands flew out, dropping her sunglasses to her eyes, and her thumbs went into her ears. She watched as they went off and after they stop she felt a finger tap her shoulder. She spun around quickly each hand had a screamer and flasher. There stood the sheriff.  
"May I ask what you were doing?"  
"Just asking my friend here, what's up?" Dara replies as she grabs the lady and puts her arm over her shoulder.  
The lady at the moment screamed, "Just because I can't see or hear, doest mean I'm going to shoot you like I shot that old man to get his money. I can always find a way to frame someone else to frame for your murder. Just like what I did to your little friend."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Spike walks out of his cell, smoking a cigarette. He was escorted up to the sheriff's desk. There standing in front of the desk was Dara accepting the last of the money that the sheriff was handing to her. He sees Spike, stands up, and holds out his hand. "Real sorry, mister, she put some really good evidence against you. How about we shake, for forgiveness?"  
Spike looks at his hand leery like and shakes anyways. He looks over at Dara and raises an eyebrow. Dara just smiles and wave him out of the sheriff's office. Once they get outside he asks, "Well, what is it?"  
"It seems that the little black mistress confessed to a lot of crimes that she pulled off. All of them in the similar manner to what she did to you. It also seems that everyone that was blamed and had a bounty on their head was withdrawal. Also any bounty that was put out, because of her, they gave to me."  
"Really, and about how much is that?" he ask with a puff at his cigarette.  
"Weeeelllll," she answered with as if it might be a little dangerous to answer, "about 2.3 billion double dollars."  
Spike's mouth falls open and his cigarette hits the ground. "2.3 billion double dollars."  
Dara smiles and nods. "Yup!" 


	7. Invited and New Friends

Dara hummed as she leaned back tapping on the steering wheel. She was quit happy with her jeep that she bought with a small part of her 2.3 million double dollars. It cost her kind of a fortune for it and then another to fill it, but she was happy. Spike, on the other hand, wasn't. He wanted to save it all, but Dara argued it was all her's and she can spend it. Besides she still had a large hunk of her money left. "Hey Spike, how much farther till the next town?" She asks.  
"I don't know." He replied. He was leaning on the door, a cigarette in his fingers, and a tired look in his eyes. "The sheriff said it would take a couple days, even in a jeep."  
"Oh well. You know you'll have to drive when we get a little closer to town. Is that okay?"  
"Whatever," he replied as he dosed off.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Spike woke up when he felt the jeep shutter to a stop. He then heard Dara get out of the jeep and shut the door. "Are you going to wake up and camp out or what?"  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Spike answers as he gets up and out of the car. Spike reaches into back seat and pulls out some blankets.  
Dara had manage to get a fire going and was getting some food around to make some supper. She looks up and notices the fact that all Spike gets out is a couple of blankets. "What? No tent tonight?"  
Spike looks up, lights a cigarette, and blows some smoke out of his mouth. "Well, as late as it is. I think it would be nice to sleep under the stars."  
"You're too lazy to set up the tent. That's the real reason, ain't it?"  
He raises his hand up, like you caught me, and smiles. "How did you guess?"  
"Hey, I would do the same thing too." Dara answered back as got a stew going.  
Spike throws Dara's army blanket and white sheet on one side and his blankets on the other side of the fire. "Is it ready yet?"  
Dara pulls the spoon out of the stew and shakes it dangerously at him, "You'll have to wait till it's done. I'll tell you when!"  
"Alright, alright." Spike answered. He sits down on his blankets and lights up another cigarette. He sat there, smoking; till he was finished with it and Dara said it was supper time.  
They manage to eat there supper in quiet and after supper they went straight to sleep. The next morning Spike woke up and realized that Dara was still fast asleep. He could tell that it was still way past noon. Even with a jeep, sleeping past noon wasn't going to get them nowhere fast. He gets up from his little blanket area, goes over to Dara, and nudges her with his foot. She makes some mumbling noise and goes back to sleep, if she was ever up. "Hey, time to get up." Spike says as he lights up a cigarette.  
Dara sits up and gives Spike an evil glare. "I'm trying to catch up on my sleep here. Can't you let me sleep?"  
"Nope. If you want to get to the next town, we can't be sleeping past noone."  
"Fine, whatever." Dara grumbles angerly. She picks up all of their stuff and dumps it in the back seat. She climbs into the driver seat and sits there. "Are you coming?"  
"Yeah." Spike climbs into the front passenger seat.  
  
~*~*~  
  
They drove all day, only to stop to have brunch, rest stops, and to switch drivers. Once the suns set they would stop for the night to have supper and sleep. At the first crack of dawn they would get up and continue. This routine was continued for a few days, until Dara spotted the city in the distanced. They finally get to the outside of the city and park the jeep. As the walked through the city, Dara looked around like she was a tourist. Spike didn't think that was a good idea, but he decided it wasn't a good idea to tell her.  
Dara thought she heard a voice far away saying something like, look out. What she seen was defiantly something that went to look out. Dara casually step to the side and a bucket of lands on Spike's head, covering him with dirty water. Dara then pushes him out of the way and gets landed on by a tall woman with long light brown hair.  
"I'm so sorry, mister. Hey, where did your friend go?"  
Spike gets the bucket off his head and looks down at the woman. "You're sitting on her."  
"I am?" The woman looks down and notices Dara under her. She gets up and helps Dara up, not noticing that Dara's back is now in pain. "I'm so sorry I didn't see you under me. Let me make it up to both of you. You can come to supper with Meryl and me. Oh, by the way, my name is Millie Thomason."  
Dara, with one hand on her back grimacing in pain, raises one of her hands and replies, "Hey, I'm Dara and this is Spike." She indicates over to him. Dara bends over backwards, standing on her hands and feet. When she did an audible cracking up and down her spin was heard. She stands back up straight and sighs. "That felt great!" Spike just stood there, mouth open wide in amazement. Millie stood there smiling as if nothing was wrong.  
"Come on this way!" Millie waves and Dara follows. Spike stands there for a few seconds, shakes his head, and follows.  
The walked into the building that they were right next too. They walked past all the little cubicles that held people, all wearing the same uniforms. The finally get to the part that seemed for people a little higher up. "Meryl!" Millie called out of the crowd.  
A somewhat short woman with blue hair stands up and answers back, "What is it Millie?"  
"How about we go and get some supper. I'm bring along some friends, is that okay?"  
The woman entitled Meryl comes up next to them an answers Millie's question. "That's fine Millie. It would be nice to have some company." 


	8. Finished Supper and A Thief

Dara sat back, sighed, and patted her stomach. "That was good. Thank you for the supper."  
  
Meryl and Spike just sat looking at her. She had defiantly ate a lot and she packed a lot of it in. She defiantly had beaten Milly at eating. Meryl puts down her cup of tea and sighs. "I've only one known one person to pack more food than that way."  
  
Dara smiles and looks at Meryl. "Sorry, I'm still growing, you know."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Spike asks.  
  
"Hey, I maybe 19, but I grow very slowly. Besides, all this running around has been depleting my energy."  
  
"Right…." Spike answer as he lights up a cigarette.  
  
Meryl gets up and pushes in her chair. "Sorry, I have to leave, but I still have some paper work to finish up."  
  
"Bye Meryl!" Milly answers as she waves some.  
  
"So Milly, can you tell me why you were way up that high?" Dara ask.  
  
"Oh, you mean, before I drop the bucket and fell on you?"  
  
"Yeah, exactly then."  
  
"Well…. It's because of the fact that was late to work 16 times in a row."  
  
Spike just smiles but Dara, just drops her jaw in amazement. She then shakes her head and places her jaw where it belongs. "I'll never understand people like you. I guess I never will."  
  
~*~*~  
  
After supper was paid for, they waved good-bye to Milly. It was time for them to go there own way. They got two rooms for the night and that was where they stayed. Before Dara went to sleep she decided to go and check out the sheriff's office to see if there was any new bounty heads. What she found wasn't a sheriff's office, but a police station. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go in, but they atleast needed to keep the next bounty in mind. She then finally decided that she should atleast step through the front doors. So, she finally worked up the nerve and did that. The first thing she stepped into was an entery way. Luckly for her that was where they put up all the bounty heads. She glanced around and tried to keep a few inside her head, then she thought it was time for bed.  
  
~*~*~  
  
She woke up, but didn't show it as she heard someone creep into her room. All she could see was a hunched over figure through her almost closed eyes. When the figured stood staight up when they stubbed their toe, she grumbled and went back to sleep. 


	9. Speed Travelings

"Damnit, Spike, give them back or I'm going to have to hurt you!" Dara screamed at Spike as she ran into his room.  
  
Spike sat up from his chair, removing the paper that covered his face. Before he answered he gave her a look that 'Why did you have to wake me up,' "What do I have?"  
  
"Don't give me that! I know you took my keys to my jeep and I want them back, NOW!"  
  
"Oh that, I don't have your keys."  
  
"You lie! I saw you take it during the night! I want them back, now!"  
  
"You must have me confused with someone else."  
  
Dara clinched her hands by her sides and her jaw locked so tight that she looked like she was surpressing all her anger. To bad it didn't last that long because she screamed and she jumped him. She started to hit him, not hard enough to hurt him or leave marks, but just enough to let him know he was dealing with a crazy woman.  
  
"Alright, fine here, here they are!" He manages to scream as he chucks them at her.  
  
She manages to grab them and rolls back on to the floor. "Yay! I got my keyes back!" She then gives Spike and evil glare, "If you ever, ever do that again, I'm going to actually hurt you!"  
  
Spike pulls a cigarette from his pocket and puts it in is his mouth. "Whatever."  
  
Dara glares at him a little longer before she lightens up a little later. "Anyways, we should get going if we are going to find another bounty."  
  
"Where too then?" askes Spike as he finishes lighting up his cigarette, throwing out the useless match now.  
  
"Well, I heard from Milly, before her and Meryl left on some mission, that there is a small town somewhere north of here. Maybe we should head that way."  
  
"Do you think it really it is wise to take the word from that airhead?"  
  
Dara just smiles and nods. Spike gives her a glare of his own. "Well, she may be an "airhead" as you call it, but she has some sort of thought thing that she does throw out gold nuggets once in a while."  
  
Spike, with his cigarette in his mouth and his hand on his chin, sits there and thinks on it for a bit. Then he responds, "Okay if we are going to go north and follow Milly's advice I want to say this now in advance: I am not going to be held responds able if we die out in the dessert. Got that?"  
  
Dara puts on a stern face and salutes. "Perfectly, Sir!"  
  
"Uh," Spike grunts as he gives her a weird look before she burst out giggling.  
  
hr  
  
Dara was having fun speeding through, and up and down the sands in the desert. Spike on the other hand was very afraid for his life. He was clutching on to anything that was solid and would hold to his grip. To Spike it felt like hours before he felt Dara slam on the brakes and made the jeep halt. That is when Spike managed to pry open the door and ran so far and panting. Dara just sat there looking at him, like he was some sort of a forgein devil. "Don't give me any of those looks. You're crazy. I've done some crazy speeding things, but that's the worst I've ever been in."  
  
Dara sighes and gets out of the jeep. She walks over to him and stands next to him, and holds out her hand, "Here, if you are going to complain you can drive."  
  
Spike holds out his hand and Dara drops the keys in his hand. "So you are saying that I get to drive?" as he points to himself.  
  
"Yeah," Dara replies as she rolls her eyes. "But you can't eat it, or," Dara narrows her eyes dangerously, "you will seriously regret it."  
  
"Okay great. How about lunch?" Spike askes as he rubs his hands together, grinning and licking his chops.  
  
"Sure!" Dara perked up. "You know where the supplies are. I'm getting tired of always cooking, it's your turn."  
  
Spike get's this look of dumb foundment. "But you make better food than me! Can't you do it?"  
  
"No," Dara replies as she walks off into the desert waving. "You need to share in the cooking duties, because you eat a lot of it and also I have to use the bathroom."  
  
hr  
  
"What is it?" Dara ask as she holds whatever Spike handed to her with her thumb and forefinger.  
  
"Spike Surprise. That is what you get when I have to cook." Spike answer with lighting up a cigarette.  
  
Dara gives it a small sniff and makes a small face. She then nibbles at it a little then shovels the rest in her mouth, chews, and then shallows. "Wow, that wasn't to bad. Can I have some more?" She asks as she holds out her plate.  
  
Spike drops the cigarette from his mouth and gives off a small swear, because of the fact he has to relight it. After getting it back into his mouth and lighting it back up he askes Dara a question. "Are you sure on that? You know, you don't have to keep eatting at it to make me happy. Hell, I'll be happy if you tell me to throw this garbage out."  
  
"No, I wouldn't mind more. It's not so bad. Of coarse there is somethings wrong with it, but I can help you with that. Not to mention I don't want to take the time to make food." Spike finally puts a couple scoopes of his 'Spike Surprise' on to her plate, and she begins to inhale it again.  
  
Once Dara was done eatting she started to clean up the mess that Spike made, when she glanced over her shoulder. Something caught her eye and made her look at it fully. "Hey Spike!"  
  
"What?" he answers and looks over at her.  
  
"What is that?" Dara points off into the distance.  
  
Spike walks over and stares off at where she was point. At first he could make anything out, then it slowly came into focus. "Hurry up and pack the stuff!" he says as he takes off running grabbing things and throwing them in the jeep.  
  
"What is it?" she turns back and looks at him.  
  
"That is a major sand storm. Worse then the one we encountered before. If that one hits us, there is no way we could survive."  
  
"Oh...." she says, "Crap!" That was when it finally sank in what it was. She started to run around and helpped Spike get the stuff in the jeep. When they got everything she hopped into the passager side, while Spike hopped behind the wheel. "What the heck are you waiting for?! Let's get going!" Dara screamed has Spike started up the jeep.  
  
"I can only go as fast as this Jeep can go!" Spike screamed back over the jeep and the wind. As the jeep kept going, the storm seem to slowly gaining ground. Dara stood up and looked over the wind sheild, out into the distance. "What in the hell are you doing, sit back down!" Spike screamed at her has he tried grabbing her coat and pulling her down into her seat.  
  
Dara just ingored him and kept scanning the horzian. Then she spotted something and points in a direction. "Go that way! I think I see some rock formation over there."  
  
Spike grits his teeth and turns sharply to where Dara was pointing. Dara managed to sit down before she was thrown out of the jeep. "That's why I told to you to sit down!" Spike screamed, trying to prove a point.  
  
"Just shut up and get too that rocky out crop!" 


End file.
